


Too Young: Ghost of a Rose

by BlueSteelFairy



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Mostly Head Canon, mostly theory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-28 11:56:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11417448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueSteelFairy/pseuds/BlueSteelFairy
Summary: Reflections; Cinder Fall considers what led to her fall, and regrets she might have but cannot admit to-nor do anythign about, in regards to the innocence of a silver eyed girl...





	Too Young: Ghost of a Rose

"Exactly what makes you think you can make the call that we're powerful enough without continuing the plan?"  
"I'm the one with her heels on the ground in Beacon, and you're in your castle far to the West," Golden eyes flared at the monitor, "And my people are more loyal to me then you."

Cinder stood up and prepared to cut off the secure signal to her mentor. The vytal festival was going on outside the small, locked cupboard. And Yang Xiao Long was villified by her peers. By the world. Despite Mercury's grumbling, that was a major victory in their plan. The darkest was yet to come. But there had been something Cinder hadn't been prepared for.

Those shocked silver eyes in the bleachers, trying to make sense of what she had just seen. Knowing she had been in a great part been responsible for the emotional distress the young girl was in-too young. What was Ozpin thinking letting her in?

Too young. How many times had Cinder repeated those words in regards to Ruby Rose? Since she had arrived in Beacon under cover. The first time the blushing girl had approached her. The first time she'd touched Cinder's hair, and to the older girl's shock, she enjoyed it. When she'd first spotted her, chasing Roman after the heist?

Too young. When after their fight during the dance, Cinder had changed out of her disguise and rushed to find the girl who had fought her. Shouting at her for putting herself in danger like that. Hugging her tight and begging her not to be so reckless with her life.

Too young. After Roman had botched the mission, and she found out Ruby had been in the caves. And she had sought her out once again, holding her face and looking to make sure she wasn't hurt.

Too young. When Cinder had kissed her that night. Ruby had been asleep on her shoulder, and it was on the forehead. But she'd regretted it as soon as she had. Ruby was pure, and she was made of broken glass.

Too young. The tournament had begun. Cinder had been trying to avoid her since that night. Emerald had stolen her wallet, and Cinder had told her to give it back. She's 16. Cinder couldn't rationalize it. The other competetors were between eighteen and twenty-four. Or a little older. Cinder thought, considering herself. And the last time she'd talked to Ruby, that look in her eyes-she'd known it. From Cinder's own time at that age.

Too young. To know the loss Cinder had experienced even before her age. To experience the despair of being powerless while your world fell down around you. That was why she had called Salem, to try to call off the plot.

It felt like a different life.

Too young. The bandits had come. Her world had fallen apart, but the worst part was when the monsters came. Had it been her fault? She'd been so mad. So angry. She had been small, and had escaped their grasp while friends and family were captured, tortured, or murdered. It was a festival. She barely remembered that now. The harvest festival. They had come. The village was small. It had no defenses. Only walls to keep out the monters, and the bandits had scaled those. So Cinder had opened the gates.

Too young. She had been soaked in blood, surrounded by those she failed to save. Many bandits had escaped. But she was the only one left in the town. Covered in ash from the fires, sobbing as she held the body of a friend, more like a mother to her. He had asked her if she wanted to come with him. She didn't want to stay. I want to be strong. I want to be feared. I want to be powerful. She had left with him, the man with the red eyes.

Too young. The conversation happened years later. She had revealed affection for him. He had shaken his head. Her heart had broken. She had run off, ignoring when he called out for him. That was when she had found Cinder. Her fairy god mother. Salem.

Too young. Salem had trained her to be a weapon. To close off her own emotions and manipulate those of others. the Grimm were attracted by negativity, so if she could be numb, as she had been the day her village fell, they wouldn't see her. Cinder had only been hurt by her feelings. Attachment led to loss. There was no point.

Too young. She had been used to set a trap. Cinder was small for her age. How old had she been? Thirteen? Salem feared this woman in the white cape. He had loved her. That was how Salem had twisted Cinder's heart, manipulated her into a weapon.

The funny thing was, Cinder hadn't realized until she tried to call off Salem's plan the signifigance of that day-Qrow's shocked face when she stood between him, bow drawn, and her new teacher, who carried the cloaked woman. His lover. Wasn't she? It had been fourteen, thirteen years earlier. Cinder had put so much of that behind her. Too young.

"So once again, you're going to allow a huntress with silver eyes to get between you and what you want? Just like her mother did?"

 

"You're too young to be in the woods alone like this! Did you get lost?" Salem had made her out to be a wicked witch. And Cinder, binded by the rage of a young girl who had lost so much, ate up every word. It was easier to imagine the woman in the white cape with the silver eyes was wicked somehow. She had held out a hand for Cinder, who had taken it, subtly guiding him 'the way her god mother was supposed to be, in her cabin in the woods.'

The woman in white had smiled sadly at Cinder, when Salem had emerged from the cottage.  
"Its not your fault. You're too young."

But now it all fell into place. Cinder's hand moved to cover her mouth. The woman in white. Those silver eyes. Her kind heart. Those things, in the child of the man who she had fallen for once upon a time.  
Their child.

 

Salem had told her it was her decision, but to consider all the angles. That night Cinder couldn't sleep, so she'd walked the empty fair grounds, hugging herself. Mercury and Emerald had been asleep, pretending one hadn't snuck into the other's bed after they fell asleep. She envied them. They followed her, she had collected them. Other broken people. Those were the only ones she should ever go near. The broken. She would lock up her heart again, and not feel again.

"You look like you need a drink"

Cinder's eyes turned, and she couldn't bring herself to defend herself. Not that he was armed with anything but the flask in his hand. He sat on a roof top, observing her, like the old bird he was. She turned away, not sure what to say.  
"The past is over. You can't undo that," His voice was cool. She turned, confused by the lack of rage. Was it the alcohol? It must have been. "The question is the future."  
"Why haven't you told them I'm here?"

Cinder had wondered that since she'd heard about his arrival. Mercury and Emerald had noticed him, and she thought it strange he hadn't noticed them. Of Ozpin's band of heroes-the tin man, the scarecrow, the good witch-he was the one who'd seen them fighting the Fall Maiden. The one who had interupted the transferrence of the powers. The hollow heart branded on Cinder's back. He had seen her, recognized her, and the rage had been there then. Of the girl who had betrayed him, who had become a woman. She had continued down the yellow brick road the opposite direction as he. So if anyone could make them before their plots finalized, it would be him.

And yet, despite Mercury having been on the TV, as well as Emerald, Qrow had said nothing. She ached to see him, but not like she had once. When he'd interupted the process a year earlier, she'd only been frustrated. But now she saw that girl, Ruby Rose, reflected in his face.  
"Truth be told, we've got no proof, and it could look really fucking bad if we just dragged a team out of the running," He snorted, "Besides, can't figure out how to tell her that she's going gaga for a lunatic."

The words hurt, but they weren't wrong. She's just a distant dream to me. Cinder turned her eyes from him and she held her arms.  
"Even if I wanted to stop it-" She started to speak.  
"Never said you should." His response confused her. She turned to stare at him.  
"People are going to die."  
"They tend to do that when I'm around."  
"I didn't."  
"Yeah, well, I think I damned you to worse."

Was that regret tinging his voice? She stared at him. Cinder sighed.  
"What I did-"  
"You were too young to know better. I wasn't," He sighed, "There's no turning back, Cinder. There's only the future."  
"Not for me." She grumbled.  
"Why not? Aren't you getting what you once told me you wanted? To be strong? To be feared? To be powerful?"

Ouch. And all she could feel was those silver eyes. Ruby's gaze of shock and horror and confusion as she saw what everyone else did: her sister, seemingly attacking Mercury unprovoked. Would she look at her like that?  
"Are you here to stop me?"  
"No point. Whatever your plan is, I'm pretty sure its been in play sine the damn dance. Maybe we can work out a nuance or two, but in the end, that bitch will wind up having used you to accomplish her goals again."

Cinder's fists clenched as she whirled on a heel. But she didn't summon her bow, or any powers, like she could have-though an amber eye flashed with rage as she swung at him. He caught her hand with his, drinking from his flask with the other.  
"Temper, temper," He turned back to her, "Is that how she got you under her control last time?"  
"She saw what I could become!" Cinder snapped, "Promised me no one would ever see me as just a little girl again!"  
"Funny. You're acting more like one then the day we met."

She screeched, and her eyes flashed, and she forgot about being covert. Cinder lunged for him, and her magic flew with her. Fire lashing out, and she saw him jump up, leaping out of the way, and slice through it with his weapon. She kept throwing it, and he kept dodging, but he wasn't reflecting. She didn't know how long that ridiculous dance went, only that the beginning of dawn was forming before she collapsed to the ground, sobbing with rage and frustration.

The crow landed on her shoulder and held up a hankerchief. She shot him a look, but took it.  
"There's no chance," She whispered, "I blew it all at the dance. You were right." Cinder gazed up at the sky, "But. No one is dead yet. Not...directly." Perhaps a few were caught as casualties, or coincidentally (they had released a bunch of Grimm in town). "Even our next plan, the-well-"

He gave her a look, and even in that bird form, she knew he was telling her to shut up. And she realized why. He hadn't said anything to the others because as long as he didn't know her plan, there was nothing to say. She frowned, looking at the ground, and he flew off, leaving her to her own thoughts.

 

  
By the time she made it back to the dorm, they were gone. Cinder stared at the empty room, no Emerald or Mercury to be seen. The plan had dictated that Mercury couldn't been seen after the attack-how had she forgotten that? And Emerald needed to recover before that night. Both of them were out of reach. Cinder slumped against the door, staring straight ahead.  
"Hey, are you-is your friend going to be okay?"

Cinder jerked her head, and she couldn't make sense of it. Ruby stood there in her pajamas, obviouly on her way too or from the bathroom. Those silver eyes had so much kindness in them. Compassion. Affection. In an instant Cinder understood why all those years ago she had been rejected. Even if she hadn't been too young-the heart she desired belonged to another like this girl. She blinked, not understanding Ruby's question.  
"My...friend?"  
"Yeah, Mercury. Um-I don't know what happened-" She seemed to fidget nervously, "But Yang would never do something like that! Maybe she was confused, I mean we've all been going pretty non stop-"

Oh. She was trying to apologize. Like it was her part, and her sister, that needed to apologize. Ruby was the leader of her team. She felt responsible. Like Cinder was for her team, though it was different. She thought Mercury was actually hurt. And while she couldn't rationalize why her sister would have done it, she was still worried about him.  
"I-I think he'll be okay," Cinder choked, "Won't...probably turn back up. Emerald went with him." She wiped her eyes, not realizing she'd been crying.  
"-You're here alone then?"  
"Huh?"

Cinder hadn't thought of that until Ruby sat on the ground beside her. But she was, wasn't she? Alone. That...wasn't new though. Qrow had always been distanced. Salem even worse. When it was her turn to be a teacher, she'd mimicked those behaviors.  
"I guess so," She whispered.  
"Oh. You want some breakfast? Ren's making pancakes."

Oh. Cinder stared at her. Too young. But that wouldn't be long, would it. Her childhood, her innocence, her youth-that would all be stolen by that time tomorrow.

 

  
Too young. Pyrrha Nikos was too young to understand the reality of Remnant. Too young to understand she would never come down from that tower. Truly she had been brave to try to fight Cinder, especially when it seemed like she had killed Ozpin. Cinder felt numb by the time the red headed warrior had arrived. She had killed. Actively killed a person for the first time. It could be argued she had only been finishing the job with the Fall Maiden-but it had been interupted. This time it had been her own arrow that had finished the task.  
Her own arrow that ended the life of the heroic young woman, beloved across the land.  
Her own arrow that caused a scream from the side of the tower to shatter the shards of Cinder's long broken heart. She turned, barely having time to respond as she saw Ruby there, collapsing to her knees, and such light bursting from her eyes. Cinder's heart broke as the power washed over her. Too young to become like me.


End file.
